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... welcome to Opinion Journal and happy new year I'm Mary Kissel ... the hundred fourteenth Congress convenes next week ... what are the politicians going to get done ... editoral page and or Polish ago joins me call that all three minutes for a ... well ... respected need anything ... I would think so yes I think there's a new possibility ... in me never overestimate Congress ... or Washington ... that's a good rule of law but I think that ... there is a new sense ... that with the House and Senate Republicans might be able to to to put some things on President Obama's desk and is it all up to the Republicans Paul aren't Democrats also incentive eyes to take to get something done ... I don't know how much ... Democrats Brit Brit larger and have incentive to do something I think that ... individual members and Democrats ... have will have an incentive not to be seen as casting unpopular votes ... so they'll have an incentive to get on board was something that Republicans do one in one of the challenges for the Republicans ... is to try to put together some bipartisan coalitions which will make it easier for them to put things on the President's tested Kill have a hard time veto so what are we talking about the immigration reform tax reform ObamaCare ... McRae sure for many years of hard ... it is one of the harder things to get done with opposition from the right although I wouldn't rule it out ... but let's AES things like that trade tips for example ... if the president does ... aam I get some ... agreements done with Europe ... and Asia ... then in the Pacific and I think the Republicans will be rejoice and Democrats and and and probably passed the hosts ... almost can be an easy fight ... corporate tax reform any is harder but I think you'll see an effort made on both sides to get that done but in terms of the early things I think your Tennessee ... will be Mitch McConnell the Senate ... incoming majority leader has said ... he's gonna try to get the Keystone pipeline approval ... put on the run up on the president's desk at the don't do that ... don't get sixty votes in the Senate ... you see I think a rifle shot fixes to Obamacare such a ... well maybe you'll see something on the fact of the forty hour workweek the thirty hour work week that is part of Obamacare which is her part but just are employment ... make that ... forty hours ... something like that I think you'll see the medical device tax ... ah perhaps put on the ... put on the president's task is a lot of support among Democrats for that could all get ... presidents history is any reason to expect and ... to suddenly copper mines are there people right you just don't trust them ... well okay I mean that's not wrong I mean but you don't have to trust ... I mean I think you have to expect ... that ... he might veto things he might veto Keystone so what ... I mean ... hell it began for the country ... but reply to Republicans don't own the White House so they cant that you can't ... im ... you can make in the Zion doesn't wanna do so but but but you they can do what they can do ... so that with what you should try to do ... don't ... pass something in the hope that he will sign for the expectation ... that he was cited passive because you think it's the right thing to do with good legislation you can get a bigger ... pot and if you do ... and he veto said ... then be prepared to have the political fight over whether ... over that Beetel and set the stage a few Republicans for things he doesn't sign ... for the twenty sixteen election passive because you think it's the right thing to do great advice thanks all ... the profile but ... just as we say hello to the new Congress ... were saying farewell to Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn have a listen ... but truly believe ... that freedom gains is ... more ... anything we can plan here ... and I know not everybody agrees with me ... one thing that you know as our founders created ... editoral page editor Paul GBO stays with me now call ... but what ... is so special about Senator Tom Coburn ... while I was like them because I thought he spoke frankly ... he was fun to listen to when he came here he and he was unapologetic in his views the history of the CIA World view I ... agree with fundamentally which the small government ... then he went there to try to limit government of but he also did his homework he was smart ... he out he worked hard to unusual and converse all well and it's not always the brightest group ... and I don't always work work and he was postmarked and work very hard and I were to do his homework their lot of members who say what the staff to ... coal burn did have a staff that was hard working good ... but he also made sure he understood the arguments that he and he can lead them in the right ... direction and tooling restored to the KLIA paper transparency in government yet his waist book that they put out a year ... ATK out this crazy at spending the Congress did ... not thus embarrassing not just to Democrats but also to Republicans to and that to an end to public servants to do that because you're telling the American public this is what is being done in your behalf and with your money ... it there's a tradition in Congress or that bill Koch's Meyer the Democrat from Wisconsin use to have the Golden fleece award in ... aam ... but to either gone by the wayside even as government has expanded spending programs of multiplied and I think that that scrape and Coburn you that he attacked earmarks ... even when Republicans are running Congress ... that was embarrassing to two law to Republicans but it was it was that this is the natural successor to come over and so ... I don't ... I ay ay ay Ron Johnson may be why I love Ron Johnson Ricketson are very conscientious very smart and he also doesn't work and ... so maybe ... he's from a tougher state ... Ron Johnson is from Wisconsin's tougher for conservative and an Oklahoma was ... up it is ... but he's good back to me another as a Senator from Pennsylvania is very good and conscientious so there are some really talented people out there ... aam will see a and and and that probably is only ... mean one or ... two of them on warlike over ... aam but they are but said that they can learn from this example you can learn from his example we wish him well ... the carpet and or Polish ago thanks ... thanks very much ... for a come-on Opinion Journal stated ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... this student debt time bomb continues to take care with an update is Assistant Editorial Page Editor ... James Freeman James American combat this problem for on and you know I how big is the student debt on ... its ... the ... market with over a trillion dollars of loans outstanding and figuring out how big it is is not easy to the bigger problem is is not easy given away ... the government reports of problems with these longs for the Fortune Lee and Jason de Lisle reading in our pages this week started to give us a sense of that and a ... lot of people getting forgiveness forbearance various ways to ... avoid paying out ... on time and in full but even given all that the real default rate is almost twenty percent twenty percent while meetings underline that twenty percent now ... I that's important point when we talk about the problems with that ... is just all about the fault is it it's also about pushing off ... these payments so-called forbearance when I think the more attention ... it should I think um ... you know it's it's one of these problems were the full bill has not yet been recognize we've noted recently how it's starting to cost more money a ... little love notes giving ten buried in the CBO reports but ... the real ... pain for taxpayers is is yet to come but to ease the pain pain for taxpayers ... so what happens if the students don't pay back these deaths well the biggest of the sort of them the booming no way that is growing now is or income based repayment where they have basically ... been out ... of the first of ... put off paying back loans but that later have been forgiven after ten years if the ... work in a sort of government approved job is to see more value on the right to ok now ... as far as people who defaulted on this is ... one ... that they cannot be discharged in bankruptcy so ... so this is a burden for the statement they don't manage to get into one of the programs to run away with from the door can't ... pay it back but ... the fact that it can be discharged in bankruptcy doesn't mean ... but it never gets collected to chase the chickens might say what I wanna take on all of this that but it's expensive to go to college ... is very hard to get a good job in America without a college degree so what a nice post and all this is really how the damage that public policy has done because by forcing all of this money into the market all of this financing available to everyone ... that's what has driven up the cost of education it's it's that rare area of American life were ... prices for decades been rising faster than health care in it's it's the government subsidy that screwed this situation right now it's very difficult if you ... if you agree that the education is valuable ... the prices are now was so insane that people who look to find Heidi bring up rates down ... well I think this cycle you'd like to get back to a market ... where people are making a reasonable judgments about the degree they're pursuing what its value is right now student loans are offered to anyone regardless of ability to pay there's no ... there's no underwriting going on if people want to borrow for a ... for whatever education in such ... a thing it's ... you know it's out there and obviously that's not given due to return the way that engineering will but a federal student loan program doesn't make distinctions on and on that the time bomb ticks away ... cents for a pigeon are James Freeman ... thank you very much thanks for ... how has Cuba reacted to present Obama salaries for me in an update ... next ... the Obama administration announced a major diplomatic outreach to Castro's Cuba last month ... how's that working out ... Heritage Foundation a research associate and agreed on a joins me now and it ... isn't all sunshine and light in Nevada ... know it's it's not and it's not really a diplomatic outreach to call it what it is a work concessions right the Obama initiation gave away everything and got absolutely nothing in return ... no condition to place upon normalizing efforts ... we got Alan Gross back in exchange for three key for three Cuban spies ... Alan Gross hostage Alan Gross was never should have never been considered a presentation effort in exchange for these the stock is ... now we've also had a big crackdown on human rights advocates with even Cuba ... is that how you would characterize an honor ... all completely out of the regime has deftly double down on on on human rights advocates ... on just last Friday there why is ... there was a demonstration that ways that was to be held in Havana who is also demonstration was held in Miami as well ... the Cuban activists who were in Miami obviously were to speak freely the ones in Havana ... war erupts that before or the demonstration ... activists arrested during the demonstration and afterwards as well ... the review the State Department response to that crackdown and by float ... we strongly condemn the Cuban government's continued harassment and repeated use ... of arbitrary detention at times with violence ... to silence critics disrupt peaceful assembly and freedom of expression ... intimidate citizens ... on the strong words but what leverage do we have now if we've Artie said ... in a barrel the highest in Mr Castro ... that's that's exactly it we've lost our leverage because that day I've that day I present Obama started calling roll Castro ... president of the day that he said you work in how the prestige ... of the new but haven't NDC in the United States to be able to have an ambassador in the United States ... have zeal to make room for the regime ... the day after Raul Castro in for the National Assembly and for military garb ... sad that the Cuba has one Cuba that the revolution has each has beat the Yankees revolution has beat the United States and declared ... they Cuba will always be governed under Conditsis ... it's hard to generalize but that you know from your reporting and sourcing ... how is exceeding community here in America reacting ... to these events that back in in Cuba ... while I as part of the Cuban community and keep them in person or issue Cuban-American were deftly not happy with this at all ... on it's there but you do see is with other party to the community that is ... that sees this as something positive because after over half a century of ... of of misery that that that that people have looked and under the regime they see any change as a good change ... but the others and recognize that this is only going to benefit ... the political and military elites ... realize that these big these new normalization efforts are going to do nothing for human rights and democracy and really and ... the United States long tradition of supporting supporting political activists of supporting human rights activists are you expect this crackdown to continue ... all one and that book without a doubt because with your palm and administration has done is legitimize the regime then legitimize ... the over fifty years of aggression to the United States into its own people ... so now what can be really hop to what what state do we really have a holding over that besides the embargo ... and even back in the in in that that that ... that ... I guess the strength of the embargo really isn't even there anymore ... if with these new normalization efforts that bad that ... the intention is to expand commercial ties to the island's ... sole we really don't have any leverage but to laugh or Hallmark wording and do your best year to keep the focus on the regime and its crackdown ... the Heritage Foundation's an MP Don thank you so much for joining us thank you Mary ... fall is on Twitter or email us at Opinion Journal I'm at WSJ dot com ... I'm Mary Kissel with The Wall Street Journal editorial board ... thanks for watching